Farmers in Malawi have rushed to small-scale gold mining to make up for lost income from poor harvests. Villagers are digging up and sifting soil in search of the precious metal to sell to buyers in neighboring countries. But authorities are cracking down on the unlicensed mining, as Lameck Masina reports from Lilongwe.
As many as 3 million Malawians are expected to face food shortages this year because of drought and pests. To address the problem, Malawi and the United Nations are piloting a joint project to assess the health of crops using drones. Lameck Masina reports from Kasungu, central Malawi.
Malawi's government is considering a proposal to liberalize the country's abortion laws. Currently, abortion is allowed only when a woman's life is in danger, and many pregnant women turn to risky, unsafe procedures to end unwanted pregnancies. However, the draft law faces stiff opposition from religious leaders who say abortion is a sin. Lameck Masina has the story from Blantyre.
A group of protesters says statue is an insult to Malawians and Africa because of racial slurs India’s independence leader made as a young man
Malawi has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with one in two girls marrying before the age of 18. The practice limits girls’ education and is most common in rural areas where dowries – wedding gifts to the girl’s parents - are attractive to families in poverty. But as Lameck Masina reports from Dedza, Malawi, one district chief has annulled thousands of juvenile marriages while facing resistance and death threats.
In Malawi, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, is helping thousands of Mozambican refugees return home after three years in the Luwani refugee camp. The refugees expressed a desire to go home after an easing of tensions between Mozambique's ruling Frelimo party and the opposition, Renamo. Lameck Masina talked to refugees at the camp and reports that they are hopeful for the future, but also, realistic.
Malawi continues to struggle to develop its tourism industry, despite having several attractions, including national parks, game reserves and mountains. But the government has developed a Tourism Strategic Plan that seeks to address challenges to attracting more tourists. Lameck Masina reports on Malawi's efforts to develop the industry, after attending a recent tourism street carnival in the country's commercial capital, Blantyre.
International rights group Save the Children has held a series of mock parliaments in rural Malawi to allow children to discuss issues that affect them. During the two-day "parliamentary session," lawmakers ages 10- to 18-years-old debated and adopted motions that were then presented to government authorities for action. Lameck Masina reports from Mwanza, Malawi.
The southeast African country of Malawi has no film schools and no cinemas. But self-taught Malawi directors have still won international prizes for their films, seven of which are nominated for the African Movie Academy Awards this September in Rwanda. As Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre, Malawi's filmmakers are working hard to build their own "Mollywood" film industry.
In Malawi, pregnant women and new mothers who live in remote villages are getting medical help thanks to a toll-free hotline and text messaging service known as "Chipatala cha pa Foni" or Heath Center by Phone. Run by the nonprofit VillageReach, the program connects expecting mothers in rural areas with health workers. More pregnant women are receiving prenatal care and birth planning thanks to the medical hotline, as Lameck Masina reports for VOA from Lilongwe.
In Malawi, the conservation non-profit organization African Parks has completed the translocation of 12 lions into two Malawi national parks under its management. The lions were flown into Malawi from South Africa with support from international animal welfare charities, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Lion Recovery Fund. Park officials say the exercise aims to help revive the parks’ predator population. Lameck Masina reports for VOA on the arrival and release of the lions.
Fear among the albino population in Malawi is running high again after the killing of a young man in the Machinga district. A priest and a police officer were among those arrested in connection with the killing, raising fears that no one can be trusted to protect albinos, whose body parts are sought after by witch doctors. Lameck Masina talked to people with albinism in the capital, Lilongwe, and files this report.
Delegates from several African countries gathered in Malawi over the weekend to commemorate the Day of the African Child. The event is celebrated each year on June 16 to honor children who were shot dead during a street protest against apartheid in South Africa in 1976. Discussions at this year’s event focused on ensuring African girls have the opportunity to get a good education. Lameck Masina reports from Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe.
In Malawi, the World Food Program is working on an innovative initiative that helps rural farmers manage hunger resulting from drought. Under the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative, farmers ensure their crops against the drought and receive compensation as a result. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre.
A team of veterinarians has again traveled to southern Malawi to vaccinate thousands of dogs as part of a global effort by the British charity, Mission Rabies, to eradicate the deadly virus by 2030. Malawi has in the past reported elevated numbers of child deaths from rabies, but now three years into this initiative, the organizers say they are seeing signs of progress. Lameck Masina reports for VOA from Blantyre.
Voters first would need to register for national ID card
Protesters also demand the end of power outages and attacks on albino refugees
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the discovery of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Visiting Malawi this month, one of the pioneers of that research, the American scientist Jay Levy, said Malawi could be among the countries in Africa on track to eradicate the virus, though he said the battle is still far from over. For VOA, Lameck Masina has the story from Blantyre.
More than 20 years after its last execution, Malawi's president seeks national dialogue on implementing death penalty
Authorities condemn communities for not seeking medical help
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